Our New House

Okay, so right now it's only a little concrete poured into the ground, but eventually we will have a beautiful new twin home that will look somewhat like this one. We took pictures of the basics; the welcome-to-our-community sign, the exterior (although ours will be a different color, and remember it's a twin home, so no, we don't get two garages), and my absolute favorite- THE KITCHEN! What a treat coming from the tiny LA one-butt kitchen we are used too. I could easily fit four in this one! There are lots of things to get excited about our new little place, but rather than bore you with the details, why don't you come visit and see it in person! We'll probably be ready for company mid-February, so make your reservations!

Balboa Park

As one of our last L.A. activities I knew I had to take Ava to Balboa Park to ride the horses. As you can tell from her big smile she LOVED it! Ava looks a little scared on the picture on the right, but really she is leaning over as far as she can so she can give her horsey love pats. We can thank our good friend Anndalyn for accompanying us and taking such lovely shots of Ava!

The Family Reunion

Our favorite vacation every year is the Christensen Family Reunion. We get to see cousins and aunts and uncles, and of course my immediate family. Ava is an animal on the beach. She loves running in and out of the waves and playing in the sand. Mike wasn't able to come most of the week because he was working one of his last weeks at LEK Consulting, and did Christina a huge favor by packing the apartment up every night when he came home from work. What a lucky girl to get such a great husband! Some of the pics include images of Ava being her cute self, daddy daughter time in the waves, Christina and her sisters (plus a niece and a little cousin), Ava dishing out the hugs to her cousin Skye, and Ava enjoying a sweet birthday treat. Happy one year Ava (Aug. 14th)!

Fun with the Family

Ryan, Scott and Ava and a lots of fun together.

Ava and Scott

Ava was all smiles whenever Scott was around. She also enjoyed cutting through the waves lounging out on Lake Washington.

I think I see him!

I've checked with a few sources and found that everyone agrees: Ava was the first one to spot Scott walking off the plane.

Hangin' at the Airport

B-So, Bryan, and Terrance waited with anticipation for Scott to arrive.

Ava and Emily

We had a great BBQ and fun evening with Scott and Maryanne. We can already tell that Ava and Emily are going to be the best of friends.

Swingin' in Seattle

We had a great time playing in the Fitzgerald's back yard.

Little Pixie

Good morning Mama!

I Love the Beach!

I'm just so excited I can hardly contain it!

The Joys of Parenting

Just look at that enthusiastic, pure, beautiful girl.

Sharks!

At the aquarium Ava and Mom got the chance to touch stingrays and sharks. She was so excited.

What a Busy-body

Ava has gotten to the point where all she wants to do is run, run, run. In fact, even when we're not holding her hand, she runs all over the place.

Look at the Fish!

Ava was so excited to see the fish.

The Aquarium

During another day over 4^th of July weekend, we traveled to the Long Beach Aquarium to visit our friends from sea. Ava and Mom were both excited and extremely cute.

Soccer

At a 4^th of July picnic Ava made some crucial steps towards becoming a soccer star. As you can tell, she’s already signed a contract with Adidas but still needs to learn the rules of the game. Actually, maybe she wants to be a goalkeeper.

A Day at the Zoo!

Mom, Jolisa and Jolynn thought it was lots of fun to introduce the babies to a variety of new animals. Of all the animals that Ava met at the zoo, the Rhinoceros was by far her favorite.

Lovin' da Board!

Silvia, one of Michael’s colleagues, was nice enough to let Ava take a turn on the long board. Ava was having so much fun she could hardly contain herself.

A Day at Venice Beach

With Justin, Jamie, Mark, Bekah, Jessica and Ricki in town, we all headed to Venice Beach to enjoy the beautiful day, great atmosphere, and a little exercise. As you can tell, Dad is hoping Ava takes a liking to Soccer.