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Friday, February 22, 2013

Bon Appetit, Ava Loren! 2-23-13 {1st Time Eating Baby Food}

My mom has been counting down the days for this day...to feed Ava something other than her bottle. 

Today my mom brought over some Earth's Best organic baby food. 

We had a blast. Watching Ava try and figure out how to use a spoon for the first time was hilarious. 

Today has been a memorable day :) 

Here are some snapshots from earlier....enjoy.










Loving the New Nikon! {New Pictures}


Here are some of my favorite pictures that I have taken with my new Nikon D5100. I don't know what I am doing yet so some pictures are not focused correctly, positioned right, etc. So excuse the quality as I learn how to use this amazing camera. 

Thank you to my family for putting up with my paparazzi self lately...



















Loves her Nana Lorenz

She can now lift her big head up!! Go Ava beans!!!!!




"mom, when will you stop with the pictures!??!" 



with great abuela

in miami with her great abuelo 


Hope everyone has a nice weekend!!!

Tonight we will probably just cook some dinner, order a movie OnDemand, and make some cocktails after Ava beans goes to bed. 

Tomorrow, Mark will be golfing in the morning and I 
will get a visit from Aldo! Aldo was one of my Chicago BFFs when I lived there. He and I used to go shopping together, cook for Mark together, go to art museums and food festivals together, etc. 


Reunited after I left Chicago to move back to South FL with Mark 

St. Patrick's Day 2011 in Chicago


The night I met Aldo. Dancing at Cafe Cabernet in Tallahassee. Thank you, Sarah Portuondo, for introducing us :) 

Last time I saw Aldo. With my Ava bump! Chicago Summer2012


I love my fabulous Aldo.  He is down from Chicago visiting his family in Miami.  Later that evening, My mom will be sitting Ava while Mark and I head to watch Zac Brown Band in West Palm. 

Then on Sunday we will be at church followed by my date with my old college roommate, Meredith, for brunch! 

TGIF! xo


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Snapshots of Today! {Feb. 12th 2013}

Snapshots from today...

Today an old high school friend of mine, Justine,  came over with her GORGEOUS little girl, Karlee. 

Justine now lives in Michigan with her husband and daughter. She was down to visit family and friends in Florida. I was happy that she thought of Ava and I to visit while she was down here. 

After catching up over some coffee and snacks, we headed out with our girls for a stroll. 

{side note: little Karlee wore the cutest bonnet I have ever seen! It was white and embroidered...I loved it! Justine told me that she would mail me one when she went back to Michigan if they still carried them where she got hers for Karlee. woo!} 
I gave Karlee a little purple bow for her adorable blonde hair. She was wearing purple so I thought it was fitting ;) 

Here are some pictures from earlier today....


Miss Ava wearing her pearl bracelet and waiting for her guests :) {Thank you, Sarah Waldrup, for this adorable bracelet for our little lady}

Miss Karlee eating her "puffs" and ready to stroll...



                     Buddies and future St. Thomas Aquinas students... ;) 




Mark and Ava cuddling before her bedtime. Ava likes his beard...


That's it. Pretty low key Tuesday but a great day getting to spend time with another mommy-daughter duo!

Happy February 12th - Mark was organizing his receipts from last year (he keeps them all for tax purposes) and came across the one from last Feb 12th. We were eating at Aruba's on Commercial Blvd and A1a on the beach when he told me that he thought we should start trying to have a baby. So today was official "Make Ava day!" hahaha T.M.I??! sorry. 

About 2 weeks later I found out that I was pregnant... 

Oh, and HAPPY 2nd Anniversary to my middle school BFF, Mrs. Ashley Koval (Leiper) & Joseph Koval!!!!! 

I was honored to be in her wedding!



Now make some babies you two!!! :) ha


Love you, Ashley. Enjoy your anniversary. Mark and I miss you. We hope to see you soon and introduce you to the Ava beans. 


Monday, February 11, 2013

A Wedding Weekend Getaway! {Mr.&Mrs. Hall}

Cheers to the new Mr. & Mrs. Hall!!!

Mark and I drove up to Jacksonville on Friday evening to attend one of Mark's fraternity brother's wedding. Mike and Emily had a romantic, southern wedding along a beautiful sunset on the river and underneath the oak trees. 
Picture perfect. 

Mark and I had an incredible time. 

(side story)
As a matter of fact {hope Mark doesn't read this post...} during the traditional 'father-daughter dance' Mark and I were standing along side the crowd and watching on as Emily smiled ear to ear in her father's arms. I heard some sniffling behind me and so I turned around to find none other than my husband completely in tears...
I'm talking tears streaming down  his face and trying over and over again to clear his throat to stop it- and could not. 

I said, "Are you thinking about Ava?" 
and he choked up a small, "yaa..." with a nod {still crying}

Hahaha the poor man is a complete mush pot when it comes to his little girl already and it has only been 3 months!



---Back to the wedding...

Mike & Emily looked amazing. The food was amazing. The music and dancing was SO MUCH FUN. 
I knew I felt like 90 years old when the song "Do the Wop" started and my friends started doing the official dance to it and I had NO IDEA what the dance moves were! So I tried to follow along as best as I could... 

Other than feeling old ;) Mark and I had a great time seeing our friends and getting some time to ourselves since having Ava. Here are some pictures from the very fun and beautiful wedding weekend. 

We stayed in Jacksonville with our good friends, Jared & Jacki Roche. Jacki and I usually start off any occasion with champagne :) Jacki and I share a special bond of both dating our husbands when they were the President of their fraternity.

 Being that they were in that role, they could be sued (personally) if something were to have gone wrong within the entire chapter during the year of their leadership {Leave it to them to want that kind of responsibility}
 I was always anxious and praying to God that this never happened.  So that's probably where the champagne comes in to help us ;-) ha...Cheers to that being over!!!


Mark, Jared, and Michael drinking Old Fashioneds . 

garnet and gold 'Yay flags' to celebrate the bride & groom



I just like this picture... Jared (aka: bow tie master) helping out the groom

me and my handsome hubby 

Left: Heather, Nicole, me, Emily, Jacki, MaryAnn

Our traditional "Kappa Sigma wives club" picture :) Welcome, Mrs. Hall! I love these women and  the fact that we have each other to spend time with when are husbands are out playing golf for the 1,000th time...
Emily with the Kappa Sigma men
Teasing Mark for checking his phone a million times for a picture update of Ava from his mother. He missed his little girl :)  

Traditional Kappa Sigma chant to the groom. Mark led it this time. I thought he was going to lose his voice after this but he didn't.  Guess it is the years of practice...

Congrats to the new Mr. & Mrs. Hall! Emily, you were beyond gorgeous!

Thank you for letting Mark and I share in your special day :)
Love,
The McGuires