Ava Elliot

See this oh-so-grown-up ten year old lovely little lady on the left? Well, Dave and I moved into her old neighborhood located in the deep desolate heart of Eastern New Mexico on the day that she was born. It was one of our first moves as a young married couple. We were a little shell shocked for many reasons. Tiny little dessert town, one of our first assignments in the military life as a married couple, I had left my first “real” career job for our move, and we were far away from any resemblance of family and friends. And while Eastern New Mexico will never be near and dear to my heart, this little girl and her dear sweet family are.

Because, although it reminds me just how fast time is flying and just how much older Dave and I have become… it also reminds me of the wonderful power of good people and good friends, especially in those places you need them the most. We really became such great friends with her parents that they are still treasures to us today. We had BBQs and block parties, camp outs on front lawns, and lots of late nights hanging at each other’s houses watching football, cooking, eating, celebrating holidays, and just being each other’s family in a place where it was easy to feel lost. We went on ski trips and vacations, played huge practical jokes on each other (which should be the subject of another much longer post), and generally had a blast. I’ll never forget our long walks around the neighborhood, or watching the night sky for shooting stars and satellites.

We really enjoyed catching up with them recently in a trip to SanAntonio, where they are now stationed. Their family and ours has grown considerably since we were all together (yep, that would make SEVEN children between our families), and we didn’t get much time to catch up in between chasing offspring… but that’s OK. We just picked up right where we left off, like all great friends do. It was wonderful to see them, even if just for a day.

We got out the swimsuits and the grill this weekend. It was HOT and humid, and my sisters were in town. What a fun day! The kids are still small enough to be thrilled with the inflatable backyard pool, which means we can kick it in the lawn chairs with cold beers. Here’s to summer!

We added some new friends to our garden. Ava and Olivia loved playing with them before we set them free. I thought that they might last a little while, but 1000 ladybugs actual disappear VERY quickly! House on fire, perhaps?

I cannot believe we have been so delinquent. I keep asking Dave to put up a post and he keeps promising, but seriously… at this point the girls will all start elementary before we get new pictures up. So, I have lots to catch up on but I can’t begin any of that without first acknowledging a very big event for our youngest. Little M is now ONE! Yes, February marked my tiny baby’s first year on this planet. And what a year it’s been.

From the moment this little being arrived in our family, we realized we had been incomplete without her. She has melded seamlessly into the fabric of our family. Perhaps it is the curse of being the youngest, but she just goes with the flow. Not to say that she doesn’t have her own mind… sheesh, none of our girls missed out on the independence gene. But, she has a quiet sort of confidence where she just does what she wants and doesn’t need anyone to witness it. She is usually on the outskirts of whatever chaos is going on, and watches carefully and intently. Lately, she joins in more often… but always on her own terms.

She was sick on her birthday, poor baby. She was not impressed with all the hub-bub.

This is such a typical look for her. Slightly mischievous, hesitating to see what your response will be, waiting to share a full grin. She is often reticent, waiting until she really knows someone before interacting much with them. She stares and stares and STARES at those whose faces are unfamiliar. But, this is one girl worth getting to know. She is FUNNY! I mean, really… the comedian of our family. As young as 9 months she would joke with me. She would be saying “Mama…mama… Mama”. I would look at her and say, “Mia, say Mama.” She would smile a big wide grin, hesitate, and say, “Dada!”. And then laugh, cheeky girl! That was the running joke for weeks.

I’m not squeamish with any of my kids. They all have known their fair share of dirt and grime. In fact, they’ve all eaten their fair share of dirt, snails, and god-knows-what. I always see this as an exercise in immunity (hygiene hypothesis anyone?). But, Mia has taken it as a personal challenge to find my limit on this principle. This kid will put ANYTHING in her mouth. It too has become a joke. She will run up to me with her cheeks full of mulch or whatever she could find to shove in there, and open her mouth to show me while laughing. But, I do love her Texas style-grass-in my mouth-like-a-90-year-old-farmer take on it.

This girl is FAST! You blink, and she’s climbed onto the new swing set, launched herself off the 9 foot slide head first, and landed in the grass with a mouth full of dirt. You have to be on your toes. Catch her if you can! I believe she has developed this mechanism out of sheer survival. With two older sisters constantly chasing her and dragging her into whatever mischief they can dream up, her only escape is to get outta Dodge, quickly.

And there it is, that full smile. Her little laugh warms up my whole heart and sometimes just stops my breath. How can you love someone so much? Being one of three girls, I always wondered if my parents could possibly love each of us as much as the next. As a parent of three children myself now, I know the answer. Your heart expands every time! It grows and grows and grows, until it should just burst out of your chest.