Ava updates

Well Ava is crawling now (see video clip)
and that means nothing gets done until little missy is down for a nap. She is so full of personality and lots of fun right now. It goes by SO FAST! George and I can't believe she is 9 months old this week. Ava finally has cut her first tooth this last Saturday and we think another is about to break through soon. She loves to play patty cake and smiles most of the day. She loves her bath time and we are looking forward to taking her swimming this summer. She is constantly trying to get close to the cats and Opal lets her grab her without repercussions. However, since Ava usually grabs a fist full of hair, we keep them separated as much as possible.

Anniversary/Birthdays

This last weekend George was not traveling so we were able to enjoy some milestones in some of our friends lives. Happy Anniversay to Randy and Kim who are celebrating 21 years of marriage. Randy and Kim were here for a little dinner celebration and their secret to longevity is "Disagree about the small things and be on the same page with the Big things in life" It must work!! Congrats on a great marriage and happy kids!

Sunday we were able to open our home for Michael Burlingame's "50th" Surprise Birthday Party. He was truly surprised (see photo above) and it was a great afternoon to share in this special day. It was great to see a good turn out of people for his celebration and to honor him with a few funny "Michael" stories. Happy Birthday Michael!

12 WEEKS

This is an interesting time of year for the Schmidt household. George will be traveling for the next 12 weeks and I will have the opportunity to either pass the 12 weeks with day to day junk or I can use it for something useful. However, this year we have Ava, so my time is not really all my own. BUT, with that said, I still will have extra time. So... the question becomes what will I do in this 12 weeks? I have begun a list and I am hoping I accomplish at least a few of the goals on my list. Here's a few of them: Exercise consistently (consistently is the key), Learn more French ( I only know a few words and phrases), work on my curriculum for a women's group to launch in the spring, Pray more, Play more, and Act on Forgiveness. Wow...now that I see it in writing, that is a tall order. I will be happy if at least a few of these items become a reality. Right now I'm singing the tune "I've got the Power...."

Time!!

I was reading Terri Curtis's Blog (link is located on this blog) about rethinking Christmas and watched some of the video clips and the comments about how we spend our time. I agree that time is one of our most precious resources. The richest rich and the poorest poor all have the same resource of "time." You cannot earn time, buy it, or save it for another day. However you can WASTE your time. We are all born with a certain amount of time on this earth and we do not have the ability to know if tomorrow is our last day or if we have another 20 years. Jesus died at the age of 33. I think about all the things I have wasted my time on and it seems overwhelming. I'm currently reading a book about raising children and the theme of time keeps reoccurring over and over. Your TIME is the best present you can give your children, your friends, and family. When I reflect about our Christmas this year, I will never remember what was bought and who got what. What I will remember is the TIME that was shared with people that matter. As we approach another new year, I hope that I can keep this in the forefront of my mind so that I can make good use of my time and share it with others. Have a safe and Happy New Year!!!

Christmas Day 2008

Christmas morning was special because we had breakfast together and then was able to spend some time with Ava and her new toys. It's fascinating to watch her learn new things and to see her excited face. Christmas afternoon was spent at George's Grandmother's house for a meal and more presents!!!

Saturday the 27th we had George's parents over for Christmas and we played some card games and of course had an evening meal together. Ava enjoyed more presents and wrapping paper and enjoyed being the center of attention for the day. We are certainly blessed!!!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve it is our family tradition to attend Christmas Eve church services, have a home cooked meal together, open a few presents, and play some games. This was Ava's first Christmas and she had a lot of fun with the wrapping paper and gift bags. She thought her new toys were cool, but not as much fun as the paper they came wrapped in. After she went to bed, George, Ashley and I watched the Jim Carey version of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" It was a peaceful and pleasant night to spend quality time with the people I love the most.

Captiva Island Vacation - Pictures