So, these pictures are from the past few months (I haven't updated in a while). They're all in order of occurence. Most of them are of Avery and are pretty self explanatory. Captions are for the photos above them.

Pear

Dr. Suess Rocks

At the beach

That's the ocean in the background

Sunset

Avery took this one herself

Being cute

She is so beautiful

Smiling up at Daddy

Another one she took herself

Erik and Avery at the Luau

Our friend Rene (from New Zeeland) making fry bread the older-fashioned way

What's left of the two roasted pigs :(

Avery and Daddy

Avery and Mommy walking on the beach

Waiting for the waves

Princess

Her first very own popsicle

Cold.

Pasta

Me

Us with our fry-bread-making friend Rene (she's the tall one with all the lei's), her husband (next to her), her mom (next to Erik), our upstairs neighbor Sariah (the Asian without glasses) and her friend whose name I don't know. Oh, Rene gave Avery the lei's around her neck. She said they were baby-sized, just for her. :)

I swear, there's a person in there. A cool part of Polynesian culture is that they REALLY celebrate graduation. :) There were so many graduates that looked like that!

A picture that Erik took of all the Chinese graduates (Erik tutors a bunch of them), Elder Dallin H. Oaks (middle, obviously), Stephen C. Wheelwright - President of BYUH (with the glasses and the yellow lei), and I'm not sure of the other man's name. We didn't take a picture with Elder Oaks personally, because seeing him was enough, and we didn't want to inconvenience him (though he probably wouldn't have seen it that way.) He was pressed for time and had to go, but we saw him. :)

Us with our Tongan friend Lisa (another graduate). She and Erik work together at the Reading and Writing Center. She and Avery really love each other. Look at the lei around her neck made of dollar bills all folded up. ... Isn't that so awesome?!

Us with Elder and Sister Richins. They are in our ward. Elder Richins teaches religion classes here as part of his mission. They are so great. Elder Richins taught high school seminary to Erik's last companion on his mission. ... Small world. :)

Us with Melissa and Matt McIntosh, our friends who graduated as well. (Carla, you'd really like Melissa. She reminds me a lot of you.)

Well, this is a lot to take in all at once, but I hope you've enjoyed seeing and reading it as much as I've enjoyed getting it all put together (finally). We love you all so much and we miss you. We wish you could come visit and see all the great sights and meet all the wonderful people with us. But hey, we'll keep sending the pictures until we've all saved up enough pennies to get together again. :) I'd love to hear from you if you have the time! :)
Aloha,
Amy, Erik, and Avery

... and she's OFF!

Little Miss Avery is walking everywhere. She's been taking a few tentative steps for a while now but she really started moving on her birthday. Now she just doesn't slow down. She's also been asserting her will more. Her birthday was awesome. It was also Erik's and my 2 year wedding anniversary. We had so much fun. Erik made me a video of our relationship so far. He put in a bunch of pictures from when we were dating and on through the years. :) I made him a photo collage through Snapfish that's framed on our living room wall now. For Avery's party we had cupcakes and unwrapped presents with our family and Jeremi and Rebecca Brewer (our friends from B building. They babysit Avery for us and she absolutley ADORES them). We had such a good time. We celebrated the next day too by going to the Honolulu Zoo. Avery loved it. She mastered the sign for "please" yesterday when we were eating at Panda Express at Ala Moana. She charmed the socks off of this elderly couple sitting next to us (naturally). This past week has really made Erik and I stop and say, "Whoa, she's really growing up fast!" Time flies when you're having fun, I guess. We only have three weeks left in the semester and Erik and I are both behind in school. We're also behind in our housework. :S Our bishop challenged the ward today to do two things through the end of finals - make room for physical activity (to combat stress and illness from lack of sleep) and to abstain from criticizing our spouses (because stress from the end of the semester puts everyone in bad moods, and it isn't our spouse's fault). Sound advice. We're going to try and use it. I don't know how we're going to get everything done, but, through the Lord all things are possible so I know faith and hard work ... and sleepless nights ... will get us through it all. :) Hey, I can't expect rewards without sacrifice, right? Well, I'm going to post a bunch of pictures now. They'll mostly be of Avery.

Avery looking over the railing at Pali Lookout a couple of weeks ago.

Saturday, March 22 - the morning of the easter egg hunt

Avery showing me her easter basket before the hunt

One of 3 Golden Eggs - Inside was a coupon for a banana split

The hunt

Mmmm .... She's quite the huntress

The group

A Family Shot after the Easter Egg Hunt

Quite the haul

Her first Peep

Let's go fly a kite ...

up to the highest height ...

Her Birthday Banana Split (Courtesy of the Golden Egg)

Birthday Stitch Dolls

Disney Princess Rhyming Book

Fishy Kite from Auntie Renee and Uncle Eddie

Birthday Dress from Eddie and ReneeTrying on Birthday Dress from Eddie and Renee :)

The Big One ...

So excited!

Look!

She loves it

Avery and the giraffe

Avery and Daddy in the fish tunnel

We love you all so much,

Amy

Well, we're getting all geared up for Avery's first Easter. She has her Easter dress and Easter basket all ready for the egg hunt at 8am tomorrow. We also have a bunch of goodies ready for tomorrow. We're going to dye eggs and surprise Avery with a stuffed basket in the morning. We got her Peeps (gotta love em) and she even has her own chocolate easter bunny. ... Well, actually, it's a chocolate CareBear (the yellow one, Sunshine Bear? ...), but same diff, right? I think we're going to have a fun day. We'll make sure to post a bunch of pictures. Her first birthday is on Tuesday. We bought three cake mixes to make sure that there will be enough for all her friends (and their parents). We got her a really cute book and some stuffed Stitch animals, some clothes, a pair of pink Crocks, and this really cute push and pull cart in the shape of a lion. I think she'll like them. I wonder why it's so much easier to splurge on her. Oh I remember ...

Well, with school and Avery and Erik's work I haven't really had much time to update ... not that I probably would have if I had the time ... I'm such a slacker. But anyway, life is good. We're right in the middle of midterms. Erik and I have both taken a few and we each have two next week. It will be nice to be in the second half of the semester. Wow, I haven't even posted my major. I suck. I decided on History Education. The more I think about it and the more classes I attend the happier I am about my decision. It just feels so right. :) Avery's doing great. She's a lot more mobile now so she's been falling a lot. I swear she almost looks abused because she's bumped her head so many times. She can take about five steps at a time by herself before she sits down. It's the cutest thing in the world. She's doing a lot of baby signs now. She says "more," "eat," "drink," "milk," "potty," "I love you," "bird," "fish," "dog," "cat," "hot," "light," "moon," "baby," "please," "butterfly," "bunny," and a few more that I just can't think of right now. It's so adorable. She jabbers all the time now and tries to say everything. It's crazy how many words she can actually say now. Her little personality is amazing. She's such a sweet, fun, silly, happy, wonderful girl. I wish I could put some recent pictures of her up but I left my camera cord in Snowflake over Christmas. ... not smart. I think my wonderful Mommy is going to bail me out though and send it over the ocean to me, so when that happens I'll try and put some new ones up. ... It's raining ...

Mostly Pictures

It has been quite a while since I've last updated and many things have happened, so I'll try and get down the highlights as best I can. It will probably be mostly about Aves.

Avery says "Mama" now. She started saying it on Labor Day (September 3rd). She also smacks her lips, claps her hands, blows raspberries and zurbits, and loves looking at lights. She loves turning the light switchs off and is currently working on turning them back on. She just noticed the moon the other night and was very impressed. She still doesn't like the waves too much when we're at the beach. We think it's the noise. She loves to sing and has started clapping at the appropriate times when we sing "If You're Happy and You Know It". She also loves to whisper. She likes eating Mom and Dad's food better than her cereal and strained fruits and veggies. She makes the most of it, though. She likes to scoop the food out of her mouth and fingerpaint. (She hasn't learned that it's easier to spit it out yet, thankfully). She isn't crawling yet, but she scoots around and is starting to lift her tummy off of the ground more. We play a game where she will call out, "Mama!" and I'll say, "Avery!" then she repeats, "MAMA!" and I say, "AVERY!" It's really cute. She opens her mouth really wide and tries to growl before she gives us big kisses.

Erik is really enjoying school. He's working in the Reading and Writing Center as an academic tutor. He has a couple of women following after him at school trying to flirt and get him to help with homework. It's a little annoying, but only really bothersome when they show up at our apartment at 10pm. Erik's had me and Avery walk him into class a few times and that's sloved most of the problem. He's helped even more than usual with Avery this past week. I've had outer ear infections in both ears and he's been a life saver.

I am doing well. I've been accepted to BYU-Hawaii for the Winter 2008 semester starting in January. I'm going into teaching, I'm just not sure what yet. Avery and I hang out during the day and have so much fun with Daddy when he gets home. I've been reading when I get the chance and life is great. Here are some cute pictures.

This is Avery at the beach a while back. She's wearing Daddy's shirt because the breeze is chilly.

Avery's first sink bath

Naptime. (she doesn't normally sleep like this, I just had to get a picture before I moved her)

Her First Oreo Cookie

New hat from Lil' Swimmers

Bundling up to go see Daddy at work

The only time she's ever worn a beanie here

Cheeseball Grin

So in love

Life is beautiful

Amy