Cake Smash and St. Patrick's Day

I was planning on writing this post over a week ago, but we had another death in the family.  Grandpa Low passed away just 13 days after his wife.  It was sad to hear the news, but happy that he is with his sweetheart now.  We were joking that Grandma figured out who to talk to in Heaven to get Grandpa there asap.  I really didn't want to miss another funeral, so we headed up to Canada last Thursday.  Here is the photo of Grandpa and I at Christmas.  Even though he had dementia, he did say "Joanie" when I came to see him -- which is pretty neat considering he has lost most of his memory.  He was such a sweet and loving grandpa.  He was always making jokes and making us laugh.  I appreciated it when he bore his testimony of the gospel to his grandchildren.  I miss him already, but am looking forward to the day I can see him again.  Love you Grandpa!

Now here is some catch up from the last 2 weeks. It has been starting to get nicer in Texas, so we have been taking the kids to the park.  Jaxson and Avery thought this swing was pretty fun together, although it was a pretty tight fit.

Love those eyes!

Ok, so these pictures crack me up.  One night after bath time, Jaxson said "Let's put Avery in my clothes!"  I don't think really appreciated it, but we all got a laugh out of it.  Kinda look similar eh?!







There is the Avery I know and love.  Has a sweet tooth like Mommy - Chocolate chip cookies being my favorite!

Must have been a pretty tasty cookie - just look at that face. 

Jaxson asked me to tie him up with this blanket.  Done.  After about a minute of trying to get out, he got pretty mad :)

Happy St.Patrick's Day!!  I don't have a lot of green clothes for Avery, so she was sporting a green shamrock headband. 

A leprachaun left us a box of lucky charms and green milk for breakfast.  Jax thought this was pretty funny!

We also ate key lime cookie sandwhiches with key lime frosting to help celebrate the green day. 

She still loves crawling into the toy basket and playing. 

Then as soon as Jaxson see's me pull out my camera, he jumps in too BUT will not look or smile at the camera. Nice one buddy! (not)

Another day Jaxson was excited to show me his "rocket ship"  (or maybe it was a boat or a car?)  He made the shape and tucked himself in all by himself.

Birthday Girl!  Avery was actually running a fever still on her birthday, so she was cranky for quite a while.  We ate sprinkle pancakes anyway.  Normally she shovels them in her mouth, but she didn't eat very much - poor girl!

I tried so hard to get a good photo of her wearing her b-day shirt/outfit.  These 2 are the best I got - this girl is hard to take photos of!



I had been looking foward to doing a cake smash with her ever since she was born.  Because the photographer wanted several hundreds of dollars to do it, and we already had family photos/picture people photos set up, I decided to do it myself.  Once again, SO HARD to take a photo of this girl.  She wasn't feeling super well, she wouldn't look at the camera and smile, and she wanted to sit in my lap instead of eat the cake (which was frusterating, but cute). 

Here is the set up

She didn't do much eating of the cake.  She touched the frosting a couple of times and put it in her mouth, then walked over to me and plopped in my lap.  I put her over by the cake probably 20 times. 

Wish I got more photos like this one.  She only smiled in a couple of them!

The "eating" of the cake.

Not too bad.  But then she got obsessed with the candle and wouldn't touch the cake...

Love this one.  She is actually kind of smiling at the camera!  Happy 1st birthday Avery Girl!

Blowing out the pretend candle?  Or she just does this "oo oo" noise once in a while - it's pretty cute actually.

Then she got obsessed with the balloons and kept batting them.  Also pretty funny (and annoying cuz I wanted her to eat the cake) to watch.

This is when I forced her hands in the cake a bit. 

Finally I called for backup.  I thought maybe if Jaxson came and started eating cake, Avery would too.  Well, Jaxson just played with the icing, and Avery kept getting up and walking away. Lame!

I thought maybe if I gave her a slice in her high chair, she would eat it.  Nope!  I am thinking if she wasn't still sick that day, she probably would have been more responsive (but I didn't have a better day to do the shoot).

She didn't want the cake, so I gave her some cheese.  She loved it and went to town.  Guess I should have made her a cheesecake :)

Another attempt to get a photo of the b-day girl in her outfit.  Unfortunately, I had to leave the paci in, and give her something to play with in order for her not to scream.

We are so glad when Daddy comes home!  Jaxson is learning that song right now.  That night we went to Chic Fil A to celebrate Avery's big day (will post those photos later - I haven't uploaded them to the computer yet and am unable to do so right now).  We are very grateful to have her in our home and we just love he to pieces!!



Birthday Girl!

It is hard to believe our little girl just turned 1 on Friday (and our big boy Ryan turned 29 on Tuesday!).  I set up a cake smash photo shoot to do for her Friday ... wow it was hard getting photos of this girl!  She didn't want to sit or eat the cake.  She wanted to sit in my lap and help me take photos - such a sweet girl.  I will post those photos soon - I sent them to my super talented SIL to get them edited.  Yesterday, we took Avery to get some photos done - I just really want a big photo of her looking and smiling at the camera in her little romper and pearls.  These ones turned out cute, although I am still looking for that perfect photo .... maybe on Wednesday when we get our family photos done, she will give a big smile like she always does (she just doesn't do it when the camera is out).

So here is our little Avery Jo --- such a sweet, tender hearted, fun-loving, spunky, smiley, and beautiful princess.  We are so grateful you are in our lives - I just love you my sweet girl and your sweet cuddles too. Happy First Birthday!!

Dear Grandma...

Dear Grandma Low,

                 It saddens me that this will be the last letter I write to you.  I am so grateful the last one I sent up, with all of the fun Christmas photos, made it to you in time.  Mom read it to you on my birthday just a few short days ago.  I am so happy I was able to talk to you on the phone as well, even if you could barely hear me as I was trying to keep my composure.  Mom and Dad have been keeping me informed of your declining health and your desire to leave this earthly home.  Although I was heart broken when I heard of the news of your passing this morning, I know it is what you really wanted.  I am so happy so many of the family were able to see you this weekend and say goodbye.  I am sorry I wasn't there.  I just want you to know how special you are to me.  You have been an amazing example of faith, diligence, and service.  I hope someday I can go to the temple 5 times a week and do a session or two, just like you and Grandpa.  Thank you for being the best Grandma anyone could ever ask for.

This was December 2010.  I have always enjoyed coming to your house and seeing you.  Jaxson loved meeting you and playing with your toys too :) 

This was Christmas Eve 2012, just 2.5 months ago.  We use to always come to your house on Christmas Eve to do the singing and scripture program.  The last few years, we have had you and Grandpa come up to our house because our family is just so big now.  I thought it was so precious that you and Grandpa were holding hands, I just had to take a photo. 

 Although Avery met you just a day ago from this photo, she knew you were someone special!

 I enjoying coming up to the Lee Crest to see your room and chat with you.  I had a feeling it would be the last time I would see you in person.  We had a great chat!  You are such a sweet lady with a little bit of spunk :)  You tell it like it is and I think that is just cute!

I have so many great memories of walking 5 blocks down to your house while growing up.  I would LOVE to wear your jewelry (hence the photo) and play dress up.  Sometimes we could look at your beanie babies and play the beanie baby game.  I loved it when the cousins were over and we would have a giant sleepover.  There would be 8 or so of us girls sleeping in the orange room on mattresses.  I remember we would be talking for so long, you would bribe us with either money or candy (can't remember) to go to sleep.  When you snuck into the room, if we were "sleeping" we would get the reward.  I am not sure if we were ever really sleeping - just pretending. You probably knew that didn't you?  You always had wheatabix in the cereal cupboard, and a china bowl full of white sugar to pour on top because we knew wheatabix didn't taste very good plain. We use to pick crab apples in your backyard in the summer. You were great about coming to watch me play basketball and cheer for me.  I could go on and on.  I think I will save it until we chat again in Heaven.  I will sure love and miss you as long as I live!  I am sure you are already converting people in the Spirit World - you are one great missionary! 

 One last happy picture.  Taken summer 2008.  You and Grandpa look so happy and in love.  You will see each other again.  I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation that makes it possible.  I am proud to be a descendant of Zelma Low and am so grateful that our family is sealed together for eternity.

Love you Grandma!!  Joanie

March Madness

Life in the Harbor household continues to be busy, fun, and just plain crazy.  These 2 kiddies are fun to watch.  Avery adore's Jaxson.  Jaxson likes playing with Avery, but he sometimes plays a bit too rough - typical I am sure.  As I mentioned previously, Jaxson is currently obsessed with the Ninja Turtles.  His favorite is Leonardo, because he wears blue and has a sword... pretty sweet stuff right there!  Jaxson has nick named Avery, Mikey (like Michelangelo - the orange ninja turtle).  Usually he calls me Raphael, or Raph for short.  Ryan usually gets the title of Donny (donatello).  Thus, we are the Harbor Ninja Turtles :)  Here are the photos we have taken since last blog.... 

 Leo and Mikey all swaddled, playing on the floor. 

 You can see how much Avery just loves Jaxson - it is so cute!

Avery is trying to learn how to hold her sippy cup.  She has a hard time tilting her head and body back far enough to get the water.  Jaxson likes to help her drink it - so sweet! 

 I have to remind Jaxson that he needs to tip it up too.

 Avery likes to climb into the toy basket (see another photo at the end)

 Avery is already 11 months!  It is crazy to me to think she is that old already.  Well the older she gets, the harder it is for me to take a good shot of her.  She started walking between 9 and 10 months and hasn't stopped moving since.  Anyone who has held her before comments to me how wiggley and squirmy she is.

 We had some friends over for lunch one day.  This is Jax and Justice enjoying a rich cookie, peanut butter cup brownie - it was really good, and messy!

 Ryan discovered via facebook that a couple that served in the same mission as him were in town.  We met up with them for a delicious dinner and then had them over for cookies.  It was fun getting to know them and I know Ryan had fun seeing them again.

 When Jaxson was little, I snapped a lot of sleeping photos of him.  Babies are just so cute when they sleep.  I have not taken many of Avery sleeping, so I snuck in her room during nap time and took a few.

 Call me crazy, but I did another craft fair.  Although it went alright money-wise, I don't think I want to do it again.  Just a lot of work and stress, and I got a BAD sunburn.  I didn't realize I was going to be in the sun (last year I was in the shaded area) and didn't have sunscreen.  Lets just say my nose is still red and it is 8 days later.

 Here we go again, Avery likes crawling in the basket.  Jax jumped in when he saw that I had  a camera, but then he wouldn't sit still for a photo.  Figures right?

 Look closely, Avery's top 4 middle teeth have all broken through the gums and are on their way down.

Its been a busy month so far, but it is just going to get busier!  Ryan's and Avery's birthdays are coming up and then its Easter.  I need to go meet the "Easter Bunny" at walmart and see what sort of goodies he can put in the baskets this year :) Love to you all!